


Small Repairs

by Lilyliegh



Series: Yuuya Appreciation Week 2017 [5]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 09:03:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11848350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilyliegh/pseuds/Lilyliegh
Summary: Yuuya is invited to Rin's repair shop to help her fix up a busted D-Wheel. He's not the most experienced with bikes, and he's certain he's not the most qualified for this job ... but it's nice to help a friend out, right?





	Small Repairs

**Author's Note:**

> for Yuuya Appreciation Week: day 05 - (un)wavering. i don't really think i followed this prompt though ^^;;

Rin’s garage is the neatest workspace Yuuya has ever seen: there is a drawer or cupboard for anything needed to build or repair a motorcycle. She has several shelves that keep detailed records and manuals she can refer to during her work. On her desk, her computer is attached to several pieces of tuning equipment she can use to measure the hardware and programming on a D-Wheel. Then of course there are the bikes, lined up along the wall for her to examine.

At the same time, Rin will still curse Yuugo for even leaving one tool out of place. “We share the tools, Yuugo, which means if you hide them on me and don’t put it away, we’re going to lose it.” Bending over the side of a bike, Rin lifts her head to glare at her partner. Her hair is pinned up with several colourful barrettes to keep the short locks out of her face.

“We won’t lose it because I’ll know where it is!” That would be Yuugo, also with his short hair pulled back by barrettes. He takes a deep swig from a water bottle and then passes it to her.

“No, you’ll forget where you put it and then we’ll have lost it.”

“Will not.”

Rin chuckles. “Will too. Just take the time to put your stuff away. There is no hurry. We’ll get our work done; we always do. Isn’t that right, Yuuya?”

Yuuya blinks at her words, and nods even though he isn’t quite sure he heard everything she said, or even why he’s here today. She called him early this morning asking him to stop by and help her with a favour. However, ever since he got here a half-hour ago, she’s been working on the frame of an old, rusty motorbike, all the while arguing with Yuugo who is checking the brakes of another bike. From time to time, one of them would help out the other. They haven’t paid much attention to him since he arrived.

Clearing his throat, Yuuya asks, “Is there … anything you need help with? You said you had a favour –”

“Oh, _that,”_ Rin says, gold eyes glowering. She steps around the bike, brushing her dusty hands on her faded jeans. “I almost forgot about you – you were being so silent standing ‘round there!” She tilts her head back towards the bike, which still looks unrideable and unsalvageable. “See that over there? I’m working on it for a friend and I need some help. Yuugo’s busy with his own work, so you were the next person who I thought could help me out.”

Yuuya chuckles, a dry, hollow sound in the back of his throat. The most he’s done with a bike is _ride_ one, and that happened just a few times during the Friendship Cup. He hasn’t been on a motorbike since that day; hell, he hasn’t even ridden a normal bike. Yuuya doesn’t know how he met any of Rin’s qualifications to help her fix his bike, but … She looks like she needs help. Yuuya can’t imagine Rin to be the type of dependent friend. No, she’ll only ask for help when she truly needs it, and she must trust him. Somehow, Yuuya will be good enough to help her.

“I can try,” Yuuya tells her. “No promises that I know what I’m doing at any given time, but I’ll give it my best shot.”

Rin smiles at him. “That’s all I can ask for.” Turning back to her bike, she crouches down before it and begins pointing at various parts of it. “This here is the frame – if it were broken, this bike would be screwed and out of service. Thankfully, it’s in great condition, and I swear it’s the only thing salvageable. Everything else either needs tuning or replacement. Engine needs to be cleaned. New tires for sure. The cabling and tech for the D-Wheel –”

Yuuya blinks. “This is a D-Wheel?” It looks like a motorbike, but nowhere on the front can Yuuya see any place for a mounted duel disk, or even a pad of some kind to play cards. Between the handlebars are two little circles, one displaying the speed and heat of the engine, and the other … He squints at the second circle. It’s opaque, and there appears to be nothing behind it.

“That’s where you place cards. This machine runs off some _ancient_ technology, like I swear this kinda machinery existed before Neo Domino. Or maybe it was the prototype. Anyway, it’s outdated and I want it replaced. Not all things in the past are treasured relics, right?” She laughs at her own joke and taps at the seat. “It’s so uncomfortable to ride this thing too. Hey, Yuugo, tell Yuuya about the trip here.”

From around his own motorbike, Yuugo lifts his head. His eyebrows draw together and his lips pinch up like he’s eaten sour fruit. “It was _horrible._ The engine makes the same sound as a dying animal, and anything that made that seat soft is gone. I don’t know why Rin’s trying to salvage it –”

“There something to it!”

“It’s junk.”

Rin tosses the water bottle over to him, appearing to aim for his head. “I’ve seen you bring home a lot trashier things. Anyways.” She clears her throat and stands. Her hands fall onto her hips and she fixes him with a bright, determined look. “So, what do you think, Yuuya?”

Yuuya swallows, eyeing the bike. Rin pointed at everything on the bike, right? “Do you expect to do all this work … today?”

He gets her laughing at that. “Nah, but we should make a good start on it since it’s the morning and I have nothing planned. You don’t either, do you?”

Yuuya shakes his head. It’s a free day off from work as a dinner actor, but he didn’t really expect his day to go like this. He also doesn’t want to say no to Rin because he hasn’t spent much time with her. Even since she started up her mechanic shop, she and Yuugo have been working full-time. This might be the only chance he gets to hang out with Rin for a while.

By this point, Rin’s already next to him and grabbing his arm. She tugs him towards the door, saying, “Come on, we need to go shopping before we even think of starting some work on this. You’ve been to a hardware store before, haven’t you?”

Again, Yuuya shakes his head.

“You’re in for a treat then!” Rin says with a wink. “It’s my favourite place to go!”

Rin takes him out of the shop and down the street. Her workplace is just off the corner of one of the busiest streets in City. Back when Yuuya first came here during the Friendship Cup, the Commons area of town was bleak and messy. The streets weren’t lit and the roads weren’t maintained, and everything in this area exuded depression and disease. Now, this area is still underneath the big highways and buildings, but it’s been revamped as a green space. There are trees growing up the sides of the buildings and flowers sprouting around the sidewalks. The main strip of the city is a paved road where all the major businesses are located. Even when it’s dark, the city shimmers with natural and artificial starlight; never again will the lower areas of City be shrouded in darkness.

Yuuya follows Rin, checking out anything new that he hasn’t seen in the past year. In the time since he’s last come, all sorts of new shops and businesses have appeared. It was why Rin and Yuugo decided to set up their shop in Lower City: more people, more demand, and more support. Above them, the upper area is mainly for governmental buildings, power plants, and highways; all houses in that area have been moved back down to Lower City.

It’s taken a lot of work and leadership to get City back to being a more equitable, safe, and supportive town.

“How has business been?” Yuuya asks. “Lots of customers?”

“Hundreds,” Rin says. “I’m thinking of subcontracting some people so they can go to the other dimensional cities and help out. There’s people travelling across dimensions just to get their D-Wheels tuned up. They’re not commuting far for sure, but wouldn’t it be more convenient to have some shops all around the United Cities? There are enough talented hands out there, and with the profits Yuugo and I have made this past year we could afford to branch out and help some people out.”

“I’m glad to hear that. But then, if you know so many mechanics out there, how come I’m here …?”

Rin leans close to him, nose-to-nose. “Are you trying to get out of work, Sakaki Yuuya?”

“No,” he says with an emphatic shake of the head.

“Well then why’re you saying things like that? I didn’t just want _anyone_ to help me with my work. I wanted a friend, and someone who at least knew a _little_ bit about D-Wheels. Yeah, I could’ve asked Yuzu, but she’s been over here plenty.” A pause. Rin leans back, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “What if I just wanted to hang out with you?”

Yuuya blushes scarlet, raising a hand to rub the back of his head. “T-that’s very kind, Rin. And I appreciate it, I really do! I just don’t want to make you fall behind because I’m so inexperienced with this sort of thing.”

“You aren’t though. Now come on, we’re here!” Before Yuuya can say anything, she turns sharply into a building that blends into the landscape of Lower City. He’ll admit he had some expectations about the type of shop they were visiting. Yuuya expected it to be like a department store that would also sell all sorts of other hardware or outdoorsy materials. He expected a shop that sold more than just bike parts, maybe also car parts.

No.

No, this shop is as small as Yuuya’s bedroom, meaning Yuuya and Rin can step through the door, close it behind them, and no one else can fit. The shelves and pegboards on either side of them are lined top to bottom with merchandise. Some of it doesn’t even fit on the walls, so there are pictures that you must have to bring to the desk to ask for. Because of the cramped corners, Yuuya can only see the one wall, and he and Rin have to shuffle round each other to see the other side. This situation is even more embarrassing when Yuuya spots a girl with equally green hair standing on the other side of the desk. She has a smirk tucked in the corner of her mouth and a twinkle in her eyes, and in that moment Yuuya wonders how red his face has gotten.

“ Hi –”

“Good to see you again, Rin! How are you?”

Rin, with back to Yuuya, pushes around him so she can stand at the counter; there’s no room for Yuuya, so he picks a wall of tools and stares at it. How one mechanic could need so many things … and solely for bikes? There are no prices on anything either, which makes Yuuya think he might not want to _know_ how much something costs.

“Doing good, doing good. I’m fixing up a bike back at the shop – ancient D-Wheel, probably someone’s early prototype before they took off as proper D-Wheels. Still, I wanna make it shine and purr. I’m looking for … wheels. I need new wheels and some motor oil, and …” She taps her chin again. “You know the pad for Riding Duels? I need one of those. I don’t have time for archaic technology on a bike.”

“I hear you,” the girl says. “Let me just check in the back for that. You could do the redneck thing and tape on a duel disk to the front of your bike –”

“That was the suggestion Yuugo gave me, and I won’t do that,” Rin interrupts.

The girl laughs. “– and that’s why I’m just gonna check stock to see if I have anymore. Be right back.”

While the attendant heads through a door, presumably to check the stock in the back, Rin turns to him and asks, “Well? See anything nice for a bike?”

“Hm?” Yuuya says.

“Anything nice,” Rin repeats. “I didn’t just drag you along because I wanted the company. I like you, but I also trust your eye and good taste. I need you to help me pick out the dueling pad for this bike. I’m sure she’ll have more than one, and I think if both of us make a decision together, we’ll have a good conclusion. What do you think?”

Yuuya thinks Rin shouldn’t trust his judgment that much, but he continues to smile at her. When the attendant comes back, she spreads out three D-Pads on the table for them to see. They’re all recent models, nothing old, and they all look the same save for the colour or shape. Rin’s hands rise to stroke the sides and screen of each one. “They should all fit, and it’s preference by this point which one we choose. Yuuya, which one do you like?”

“Why do I have to pick first?” Yuuya says, twisting his lips.

“Because you might just agree with me, whereas I won’t feel any pressure to agree with you.”

“Oh.” Yuuya’s eyes slide down to the three pads on the counter. The first one is slim and covered with red plastic. It looks durable, but that part of the bike shouldn’t hit the ground at any point. The second one is less protected, and it’s larger; perhaps the screen has more options for it. And the third one … Yuuya’s eyes stay hooked on the third one. Like the first, it’s red, and like the second, it’s wide, but it reminds Yuuya so much of the pad on his bike during the Friendship Cup. He liked the feel of that bike.

Yuuya taps the third pad. “This one.”

Rin peers and it closely, taking it in her hands and looking at it from all angles. “I agree. This one has all the perks of the previous two plus more, and I like the feel of this. I can mount this on the bike for sure.” She looks up at the cashier. “We’ll take this one then, as well as the wheels and motor oil. Standard-sized wheels should be fine.”

Rin pays for the materials, and then they gather the bags up in their arms. The wheels are too wide to fit in a bag, so Yuuya takes both of him in his hands, one stacked atop the other. He tries not to tip over as he exits the building. Once on the street, he sags a little bit from the weight on his arms. He’ll be walking home with these, won’t he?

He receives a clap on the shoulder. “Not far at all, and the day is still young! Come on!”

Yuuya follows Rin back down the same long, busy street, and then takes the turn to her shop. Yuugo is waiting outside for them, doing laps down the street on the bike he was fixing. He waves at them when he approaches, and asks, “Need help with the tires? I took a look at that bike and … it’s pretty busted, Rin. You sure you can fix it?”

She waves him away though, setting down the bags on the ground. Yuuya wonders if he can set the tire down too: his arms are aching from holding them for so long.

“It’ll be fine Yuugo, and I’ve got Yuuya’s help! Just need a bit of a polish and a clean, and then it’ll be fine. All in a day’s work.”

Yuuya’s eyes veer over to the scrappy-looking D-Wheel. A _day?_ How can she expect to accomplish that much? Yuuya thinks that looks like _weeks_ worth of work, but he keeps his mouth closed while Rin unpacks her purchases and walks the bike outside. Even in the lower district of City, there’s enough sunlight to catch on the rusty metal of the bike and try to make it shine. There was once red, metallic paint on the frame, Yuuya can see, and maybe with a paint job it’ll look a bit better.

With their materials spread out before them, Rin gets him set to work. She has a rolling toolbox that she brings out to adjust wires and screws along the frame. Yuuya stands with his cleaning cloth for part of it until she instructs him to begin wiping down everything. It’s not rust, Yuuya finds up, but just thick, melted, and crusty layers of dirt that are near-impossible to scrape off. Yuuya has to scratch it away with a tool and then wipe clean the debris until he can see the bottom layer of the metal.

“It is red,” Yuuya says.

Lying parallel to the bike, Rin nods. “I could see a bit of it through all the dirt and grime, and with a bit more paint it’ll look lovely. Honestly, this piece here isn’t junk. It works fine, and it’s sad someone couldn’t give it a bit of TLC to get it purring again.” Through the reflection of the silver engine, Yuuya sees her smile. “I’m glad I found it though.”

“Where did you find this?” Yuuya asks.

“On the road,” she says. “Someone had it out for trash collection, and I just couldn’t see a bike get discarded so easily. I’ve been building and repairing bikes ever since I was a child. This is my passion, my dream – I couldn’t watch the bike go away.”

Yuuya knows the feeling. He’s seen duelists throw away their cards in anger, upset over the unfortunate circumstances of competitive dueling – and he’s picked them up for them and held them out with a smile, offering to teach them. It’s frustrating to learn and grow, though with a bit of help Yuuya thinks that anyone can become better. It’s why, right now, he hasn’t given up on the bike yet: Rin’s teaching him, learning with him, and it makes the environment all the friendlier. Outside of her shop and beneath the sunshine streaming through the highways overheard, Yuuya feels at peace next to Rin.

Once the dirt is scraped off the frame, he moves on to wiping clean the handlebars and seat. Rin brings him a primer that he brushes over anywhere that he’ll paint. Then, with a mask over his mouth and nose, he spray-paints the frame. Red mist jets out, sparkling in the sunlight. The more paint that covers the D-Wheel, the more Yuuya begins to see the beauty hidden beneath it. Above him, Rin attaches the D-Pad for Riding Duels and adjusts the positions of the seat and handlebars.

“Hey, Yuuya?”

“Yeah?”

“When you’re done that, come sit on the seat. I want to make sure everything’s in the right position, and it’s a bit easier to measure that if there’s a human being sitting there.”

Yuuya finishes up the last of his painting – he’ll put another coat on afterwards – and then hops onto the seat, legs spread out so that he won’t brush against the drying paint. Rin comes around him and begins pulling at cords and wires. She lifts up the handlebars to make sure they’re at a comfortable height for him, and then adjusts the placement of the D-Pad so that it’s centred between the handlebars. Then she moves the seat back, careful to not brush against the wet frame.

“I’m a bit shorter than the average Rider, aren’t I?” Yuuya says.

“Close enough,” Rin says. “I just need an estimate.” Once done, she gets Yuuya to hop off. When she walks around the base of the bike, her fingers drag along the frame. “It looks sleek, doesn’t it? Meant for drag racing, I’d bet, or really quick Riding Duels. I don’t think you’d want to ride on this for a long time.”

Yuuya nods. “It’s like my bike during the Friendship Cup. That was a nice, sleek ride, but a pain to sit on for more than a duel.”

Rin nods, tapping her chin. “So maybe it needs a better seat then. I bet I can find that. Until then …” She reaches into her pocket and begins twirling a set of keys on her fingers. At this hour, the sun is setting and casting an eerie glow on Lower City. The street lamps have turned on and the dotted lines along the road glow fluorescently. Where they should be shadows, there is warm light.  

A set of keys go flying through the air. Yuuya scrambles to catch them, cupping his hands just before they hit the ground. He looks up at Rin with one eyebrow raised, but she’s already crouched before the bike. Her fingers dance along the frame.

“Just like yours, isn’t it? It would be kinda neat if this _was_ yours, wouldn’t it?” A wink. “I haven’t seen you participate in a Riding Duel in _ages,_ Yuuya. Don’t you miss it?”

“I –” Yuuya swallows. “That doesn’t mean you give me the keys to a brand-new D-Wheel, Rin! Here, take these –”

Rin is in front of him in the blink of an eye, closing his fingers over the keys. Now that he’s thinking about it, Rin’s taller, all long legs and gangly limbs. Her green hair is mussed from working hard all day, and she brushes a few strands out of her eyes. “We didn’t work on this bike all day so you can throw the keys back to me and chicken out. You haven’t had a Riding Duel since the Friendship Cup, and I dare say you miss it.”

“I do, but –”

“And I wanna help you out! This my career, Yuuya: I live for building and fixing D-Wheels. When I saw this one, it reminded me of the pictures Yuugo took when you were on your bike –”

_“There were pictures?”_

“ – and really wish I wasn’t missing for that. I wanna duel you, but on my turf. And, most importantly, I want to thank you. If you didn’t save me, I wouldn’t have this life. I wouldn’t have achieved this dream and been reunited with Yuugo, and I wouldn’t have stayed in this world. I’m lucky to be here, doing what I love. Consider this payment for what you did for me.”

Yuuya’s throat is dry. Sure, he remembers saving Rin, but she was more or less one of the many bodies turning up after the dimensions fused together. He doesn’t want to say that though, not after all the care she’s put in fixing up a … a _D-Wheel_ for him. Yuuya can hardly believe his eyes. He’s missed dueling; he’s missed being in Riding Duels. As much as he’s tried to reclaim his past, there are parts of it he thought he’d never be able to enjoy again.

“I mean, this bike isn’t ready _quite_ yet – I might have been over-estimating how good my repairs still are. But this is still yours for sure.” She taps it with her fingers then, a melody caught up in the breeze. “Thank you, Yuuya.”

Yuuya shakes his head, smiling through the emotions welling up in this throat. When he speaks, the words come out choked: “No, thank you, Rin.”

She laughs at that, coming round to hug him. “Emotional, are we? You’re more like Yuugo than you think.”

“I’m glad.”

She squeezes tighter. “I’ll be able to duel you now, right? You’ll help me finish this D-Wheel? I … I built a D-Wheel with Yuugo once. Wouldn’t it be neat to make one with someone similar to him?”

He agrees with her. There’s still work to be done to patch up the bike, and a bit more cleaning and polishing that can be done. However, Yuuya now sees how worth it it is. He’s _something_ to Rin, more than a friend for sure; he’s somehow connected to her childhood friend, however that works. And Yuuya hasn’t forgotten about any of his friends, but she’s outside of the Maiami circle. He won’t see her everyday.

Fingers wrap around hers. Like the cords they’ve twisted, like the scratches they’ve painted over, Yuuya will start this friendship anew.

Yuuya wants to meet Rin properly this time on the track of a Riding Duel.


End file.
